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Sat, 31 Jan 2015 21:56:38 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/3be5ff8bb35bcbb3f291eda48a43567a?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs2.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngi'm waking up to ...https://wakingupto.wordpress.com
Music Alliance Pact – March 2013 Issuehttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/music-alliance-pact-march-2013-issue/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/music-alliance-pact-march-2013-issue/#commentsSun, 17 Mar 2013 17:03:43 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4804Continue reading →]]>SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…Obedient Wives Club – Murder Kill Baby
Oh the glorious fuzz! Obedient Wives Club take their self-styled Spectorgaze (remember this kids!) to all new heights with the release of their Murder Kill Baby EP. What awaits is the throwback-to-saccharine 60s girl-band inspired pop paired with an almost manic dose of fuzzed out backwash that only the evilest of musical geniuses would dare tread upon. Don’t let any of their gentle imagery fool you – this music is a hard citrussy candy shell wrapping the warm centre of acid bombs. Stay lucid, or don’t. - Brian.https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/obedient-wives-club-murder-kill-baby-singapore.mp3To download all 40 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?Jesse Davidson – Winterhttp://whothehell.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/02-Winter.mp3
Jesse Davidson is a 16-year-old songwriter from Adelaide. The track we’ve chosen may be called Winter, but we think it sounds more like Grizzly Bear recording a leisurely acoustic session somewhere off the Caribbean coast. Alongside muted drums and blissful guitar embellishments that resurface every so often, there’s something really pure about Jesse’s music. He manages to capture the beauty of isolation in a way that never seems forced. Honest, effortless indie-folk.

CUBA: suenacubano.comKaramba – Vivir La Vidahttp://suenacubano.com/files/audios/Karamba_-_Vivir_La_Vida_Cuba.mp3
We are happy to begin our participation in MAP with a different approach to what is generally known of Cuban music. Vivir La Vida is an ode to self-esteem. It’s a song that invites reflection on our path to being and behaving in these troubled times. With his own particular stamp, Karamba uses cumbia, hip hop and rock ‘n’ roll, combining the freshness of his lyrics and refrains to recreate the impeccable taste that permeates Cuban music.

FRANCE: Yet You’re FiredMermonte – Montehttps://dl.dropbox.com/u/22109319/Mermonte%20-%20Monte%20%28France%29.mp3
Mermonte was formed in Rennes in 2010. This group of 10 wonderful musicians all have a past in various bands, combining different elements such as jazz, math-rock, pop and post-rock. Band leader Ghislain Fracapane recorded the album Mermonte in 2011, before releasing it in May 2012. Monte is a catchy pop song with glockenspiel and soft French vocals that you will love immediately and put on repeat for weeks.

GREECE: MouxlalouloudaMelentini – Gone Are The Dayshttp://map.super45.cl/map-2013-03/Melentini_-_Gone_Are_The_Days_-_Greece.mp3
After creating a series of music pieces, appearing in theatrical plays and collaborating with prominent artists, Melentini has finally completed Explosions Around, The Desert Inside, an enrapturing debut album. It is racked with mostly bare arrangements and a stark, heartfelt vocal delivery that provides the stunning balm to bind this unsettling beauty together. Stricken with fragility, it combines affecting poetic lyrics and piercing sorrow with something ethereal that drags you into an achingly alluring world. It’s a record you’ll return to again and again.

INDIA: NH7The Lightyears Explode – Garam Dharamhttp://media.nh7.in/Garam%20Dharam%20%28India%29.mp3
The Lightyears Explode are a three-piece punk/garage rock band from Mumbai and a good example of the current crop of independent music coming out of India. Garam Dharam is from the band’s debut release and the first word that comes to mind after listening to this song is ‘heavy’. If you dig this tune, stay tuned for their debut album which is due out in the next few months.

MEXICO: Red Bull PanamérikaYellow Yesterday – Leónhttp://panamerika.fm/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/02-León1.mp3
The name Yellow Yesterday might refer potential listeners to a nostalgic band that recreates Beatlesque anthems for lazy afternoons. And that was indeed the sound of this Mexico City group, led by the charming Andrés Ibarra (aka Chelito), on their early singles and EPs. For their proper debut, though, Yellow Yesterday seem to have ignited their retro-boosters to deliver this spacey-krauty epic that roars in slow motion like a lazy lion.

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!Lemontrip – Wanderhttp://www.subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/Lemontrip%20-%20Wander%20(Netherlands).mp3
With Wander, Tilburg-based producer Lemontrip allows the listener to catch a glimpse of his submerged world. Being sparse with the distribution of melodic and rhythmic information, he makes sure to leave a lot to the imagination of his audience. In this sense, Wander seems to be the embodiment of the overarching theme of exploration, embedded in his debut album Nowhere. Released in November 2012 through his own Fog Mountain Records label, Nowhere consists of six stunning tracks, each displaying Lemontrip’s craftsmanship for making slow-paced, melancholic electronic music. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to catch on.

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopVigo Thieves – Heartbeatshttp://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Vigo-Thieves-Heartbeats.mp3
Vigo Thieves are the quintessential festival band. Think anthems. Massive, swaggering raise-the-roof anthems. Heartbeats is the pick of the bunch and was the official song adopted by T in the Park for their website last year. The group have a couple of EPs under their belt, although curiously they remain unsigned. For a band with this much commercial appeal, you’d imagine that won’t be the case for very much longer.

Tagged: happy teardrop, map, Obedient Wives Club, singapore]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/music-alliance-pact-march-2013-issue/feed/0wakinguptoowcMusic Alliance Pact – February 2013 Issuehttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/music-alliance-pact-february-2013-issue/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/music-alliance-pact-february-2013-issue/#commentsSat, 16 Feb 2013 14:12:27 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4799Continue reading →]]>SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…Halcyon – Building With Sticks
One of the artists we’ve got on our radar this year is Halcyon (Zhong Ren Koh), who’s managed to come out just a little more broken in Singapore’s cookie cutter society. We love the singer-songwriter, and we love even more that Halcyon has broken out from that particular mould to become an emerging multi-instrumentalist. His arrangements are delicate and achingly heartfelt – sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but it’s more real than most of the crap out there. - Brian.https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/halcyon-building-with-sticks-singapore.mp3

To download all 39 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world.

CHILE: Super 45Perrosky – A Mil Millas
Perrosky, a duet formed by brothers Álvaro and Alejandro Gómez, offer a local interpretation of the music styles that gave birth to rock ‘n’ roll in the USA. Their fifth album Vivos is swarmed by distorted guitars, vocal effects and, of course, a great set of songs. Our highlight is the touching blues ballad A Mil Millas (“A Thousand Miles Away”), which depicts a man searching for himself but whose possibilities seem blocked to him.http://map.super45.cl/map-2013-02/Perrosky_-_A_Mil_Millas_-_Chile.mp3

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogGNOD – Visions Of Load
Taken from GNOD’s forthcoming album Chaudelande (released on February 25 by Rocket Recordings), Visions Of Load captures neatly – that is to say, powerfully and sprawlingly – the krautrockin’, shoegazin’, prog-metallic sludginess of this Salford band at their most freakily magnificent. “It recalls Can’s ga-ga go-go music while the singer yelps like Alan Vega doused in even more echo,” said our New Band of the Day writer, who nevertheless promised that, notwithstanding the far-out sonics and instrumental melee, you could still dance to it. He just didn’t specify what type of shoes you might need.http://download.guardian.co.uk/draft/audio/1359988645064/1562/VisionsOfLoad.mp3

ESTONIA: Rada7Candy Empire – Lucky
Candy Empire is a new band founded late 2011 by restless multi-instrumentalist Ervin Trofimov of acclaimed experimental rock band Opium Flirt. Trofimov has previously recorded in various genres such as instrumental prog-rock, acoustic folk and electronic pop, but Candy Empire’s sound can be described as a futuristic version of Blondie with Neil Young on guitar. They have unveiled their new single Lucky with a colorful animated video.http://map.rada7.ee/Candy%20Empire%20-%20Lucky%20%28Estonia%29.mp3

MALTA: Stagedive MaltaThe Suburbanite – Blow My Mind
The Suburbanite is the project of Maltese-Canadian Robert Pisani, backed by a floating collective involving a number of other local band members who have helped shape their sound. A Field Guide To The Suburbanite is a seven-song collection which embraces the spirit and naivety of the past; a frolic on the beach, the first love, Saturday nights indoors… all with hummable melodies. Listening to that debut EP is like taking a walk through Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, without the Oompa-Loompas chanting those annoying moralising ditties.http://www.stagedivemalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/The-Suburbanite-Blow-My-Mind.mp3

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!APRIL – The Rise And Fall Of A Beautiful Bird
Last year I had the privilege to witness APRIL’s first ever gig. Amidst the seedy rock ‘n’ roll crowd this enigmatic duo generated plenty of attention – both frontwoman and man rockin’ high heels while channelling Bowie-esque vibes like it was nobody’s business. On stage it soon became clear that their originality did not stop at their taste in fashion, combining drum computers with reverberant guitar melodies, groovy basslines and intricate, contrasting vocals. With their new single, due to be released on February 23 via Subroutine Records, APRIL has replaced their drum machine for a real drummer and their melodramatic side for a sound that embodies the same confidence they project in a live setting.http://www.subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/APRIL%20-%20The%20Rise%20And%20Fall%20Of%20A%20Beautiful%20Bird%20(Netherlands).mp3

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopKevin Harper – Kingdom Of Wires
Influenced by warm, fuzzy guitar bands of the American West Coast, Kevin Harper first appeared in the Music Alliance Pact in March 2011 under the guise of Little Eskimos, a solo project that evolved into a group. He’s back on his own again, not that you could tell from this talented multi-instrumentalist’s canny knack of sounding like a full band is at work. Mr Harper is probably one of the most accomplished pop songwriters in Scotland, yet he’s still little-known in his native land. If there’s any justice, his forthcoming debut solo album Kingdom Of Wires should change all that.http://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Kevin-Harper-Kingdom-Of-Wires.mp3

Tagged: Halcyon, map, singapore]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/music-alliance-pact-february-2013-issue/feed/0wakinguptohalcyon-zhongrenBest of 2012: Jessie Ware – Devotionhttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/best-of-2012-jessie-ware-devotion/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/best-of-2012-jessie-ware-devotion/#commentsMon, 31 Dec 2012 09:00:40 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4787Continue reading →]]>
The cover art of her debut album kinda casts Jessie Ware as a modern-day lady in satin, and Devotion backed that perception rather nicely. No other album in 2012 sounded as poised or as stylishly rendered as Devotion, and the smoldering sophistication Ware projects is wonderfully distilled through her songs. Mid-tempo soul balladry mesh seamlessly with flutters of dreamy electronic music made for the floor, as Ware and her musical collaborators put the finishing touches to an entrancing pop album full of smoky restraint and subtle inventions. - Keith. https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/jessie-ware-110.mp3mp3: Jessie Ware – 110%

Tagged: devotion, Jessie Ware, PMR]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/best-of-2012-jessie-ware-devotion/feed/0wakinguptojessie-wareBest of 2012: Raime – Quarter Turns Over a Living Linehttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/best-of-2012-raime-quarter-turns-over-a-living-line/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/best-of-2012-raime-quarter-turns-over-a-living-line/#commentsSun, 30 Dec 2012 15:59:43 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4780Continue reading →]]>
While I waited for The xx’s Coexist to match the minimalist thrills of their debut album, and as I pondered why I still lifted my skinny fists to Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend despite its (glorious) predictableness, I discovered an album that struck a darker and colder atmosphere than the former, with all the devastating inclinations of the latter: Raime’s anticipated debut LP Quarter Turns Over a Living Line is a tense, terrifying excursion of brutal ardour, casting a post-industrial gloom over much of anything I’ve been listening to this year. - Dan. https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/raime-your-cast-will-tire.mp3mp3: Raime – Your Cast Will Tire

Tagged: Bella Union, Captured Tracks, Gemini, Jack Tatum, Nocturne, wild nothing]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/best-of-2012-wild-nothing-nocturne/feed/0wakinguptowild nothingBest of 2012: Bob Dylan – Tempesthttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/best-of-2012-bob-dylan-tempest/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/best-of-2012-bob-dylan-tempest/#commentsThu, 20 Dec 2012 17:22:59 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4770Continue reading →]]>
Philosophers, pimps and pale kings may argue for the better angels of our nature, but riled-up septuagenarian Bob Dylan is having none of that shit. His 35th studio album Tempest drips with tales of carnage, Shakespearean vengeance and unrequited desires — not to mention a winding 14-minute title track that deconstructs the Titanic sinking in surreal details. The death-obsessed landscapes Dylan paints are no country for old men, yet Tempest bears the true grit of a grizzled survivor’s defiance in the face of mortality: The more I die, the more I live. - Keith. https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/bob-dylan-long-and-wasted-years.mp3mp3: Bob Dylan – Long And Wasted Years

Tempest is out now on Columbia.

Tagged: bob dylan, Columbia, Tempest, Titanic]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/best-of-2012-bob-dylan-tempest/feed/0wakinguptobob dylanBest of 2012: Dan Deacon – Americahttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/best-of-2012-dan-deacon-america/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/best-of-2012-dan-deacon-america/#commentsWed, 19 Dec 2012 14:34:31 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4762Continue reading →]]>
Under the overwhelming weight of an audacious album title like America, Dan Deacon has found an inexplicable spontaneity in a most exuberantly arranged pop record. The diverse connotations that America conjures is merely a foil for Deacon’s free-ranging creation of a world of density, expansiveness and childlike joy. The pace is blisteringly ADHD, with surprises at each corner flowing comfortably into each other. It’s addictive fun – just don’t read too much into it, and enjoy the ride for what it is. - Dan. https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/dan-deacon-crash-jam.mp3mp3: Dan Deacon – Crash Jam

Tagged: ADHD, america, Dan Deacon, domino]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/best-of-2012-dan-deacon-america/feed/0wakinguptodan deaconBest of 2012: Jens Lekman – I Know What Love Isn’thttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/best-of-2012-jens-lekman-i-know-what-love-isnt/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/18/best-of-2012-jens-lekman-i-know-what-love-isnt/#commentsMon, 17 Dec 2012 17:10:25 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4757Continue reading →]]>
Arriving five years since his last full-length record, I Know What Love Isn’t from Jens Lekman is certainly well worth the wait, an enchanting breakup album so good it deserves its own manic pixie dream girl. In his songs, Lekman has seldom shied away from self-deprecation and lightheaded moments of vulnerability. I Know What Love Isn’t takes it a few steps further in revealing all the hallmarks of a hopeless romantic, brimming over with its rumination on heartbreak and love’s memories — or as Jens sings it, it’s all a bit like learning to carry along a broken heart gracefully. - Keith.https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/jens-lekman-i-want-a-pair-of-cowboy-boots.mp3mp3: Jens Lekman – I Want a Pair of Cowboy Boots

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?Sunk Junk – Jr
If Sunk Junk represent the calibre of young bands coming out of Oz, no-one can justify not being able to find decent new music ever again. Sunk Junk have only released one home recorded EP, but it’s definitely the most impressive thing we’ve heard all month. The elaborate percussion in Jr only feeds this assertion – weaving its labyrinthine way around intricate guitar lines and a hypnotic croon that could be easily mistaken for Jeff Buckley’s ghost. A sprawling track which teeters on the stark side of melody and mania, Jr is definitely a marker of good things to come from this band.http://whothehell.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/01-Jr.mp3

CHILE: Super 45Protistas – Granada
In just a few years, Protistas has become one of the most active bands in the Chilean indie rock scene. They frequently perform in Santiago, with appearances on blogs’ multimedia shows and local festivals (Primavera Fauna, Pulsar), along with tours across Chile and Argentina. They have released two albums and an EP since 2009. Their melodies combine the poignancy of Sebadoh with the urgent impact of Guided By Voices, in a style they’ve named “wild pop” – bittersweet songs with an explosive, intense guitar sound.http://map.super45.cl/map-2012-12/Protistas_-_Granada_-_Chile.mp3

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogSwiss Lips – Carolyn
Swiss Lips are a five-piece from Manchester who are more Delphic than Courteeners. Carolyn is part of the city’s electronic history rather than its less illustrious trad-rock one. They use the fizzy electro-pop medium to express feelings of longing for better days. “Most of the songs we’ve written seem to be about looking back on being a teenager and that wide-eyed optimism about the world,” they say, which might explain the giddy chorus to Carolyn – “Hey, hey, Carolyn, get into my car/Keep your feet up on the dashboard” – and its memory of illicit abandon.https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1121087/BD/SWISSLIPS/Music/Carolyn.mp3

GERMANY: ColtranBinoculers – Monsters
Binoculers is an artist you might easily overlook, given the reserved attitude of Nadja Ruedebusch. But you would miss some of the most thoughtful folk music Germany can currently offer. This is the kind of thing you might like to hear on a foggy winter’s day or a sparkling spring afternoon when you lay down in the grass for the first time that year. Binoculers’ third album, There Is Not Enough Space In The Dark, has just been released.http://www.coltran.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Binoculers-MonstersGermany.mp3

IRELAND: Harmless NoiseWindings – This Is A Conversation
A five-piece band from Limerick, Windings released This Is A Conversation as a single in September. Introduced with a clean guitar and racy keys, the light pop intentions go slightly awry when Steve Ryan starts belting out the vocals, repeating nine lines of lyrics in chorus-like bursts. There comes a mighty bass riff that lays down the heavy element, and a few light taps of cymbal domes mark time for the band to gather up and go all-out towards a hugely satisfying rock crescendo.http://harmlessnoise.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/This-is-a-Conversation.mp3

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!Kleinindustrie – Repetition
Kleinindustrie emerged from out of nowhere in 2010, wowing live audiences and winning two big music competitions in Utrecht, the band’s hometown. After this sudden burst to the surface, the band shrouded itself in a veil of mystery. Although some said they emigrated to Norway to live off the prize money, 2011 turned out to be the quiet before the storm. Since February 2012, Kleinindustrie has released three EPs and toured all over the Netherlands. Repetition stems from their latest release, Hit It!, which meanders loosely between no-wave and straightforward noise-rock. With a relentless drummer, menacing singer and a bass player and guitarist in one, Kleinindustrie have created a huge sound that’s naturally fit for repetition.http://www.subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/Kleinindustrie-Repetition.mp3

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico IndieAlegría Rampante – Hotel Puercoespín
When Puerto Rico’s indie darlings Superaquello disbanded in 2011, they left behind four remarkable LPs and a disappointed fanbase not ready to miss them. A year later, fans can breathe easier thanks to vocalist, composer and dramatist Eduardo Alegría, who has emerged with a new musical project – Alegría Rampante. Eduardo and his group of skilled collaborators from the local indie scene have quietly built an arsenal of melodic earworms to be released over the next few months as the digital singles collection Se Nos Fue La Mano. Hotel Puercoespín is the second song from the cycle, an upbeat baroque pop-rocker full of Eduardo’s trademark playful lyrics and sincere delivery. Alegría Rampante is Latin Alternative’s best kept secret – but not for long, so get in first.http://dl.dropbox.com/u/476245/Music/MAP/Alegria%20Rampante%20-%20Hotel%20Puercoespin%20-%20%28Puerto%20Rico%29.mp3

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopThree Blind Wolves – Parade
Three Blind Wolves may be from Glasgow, but it’s the American Deep South that resonates most emphatically in their music. They are a little bit country, a little bit hillbilly rock ‘n’ roll, yet their versatility means they’re equally at home in indie and folk circles. Their new album Sing Hallelujah For The Old Machine comes out in April, with the coil-sprung standout track Parade released as a single in October (alongside this promo video), but here it is as an exclusive free download.http://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Three-Blind-Wolves-Parade.mp3

SPAIN: MusikornerNITCH – Bon Dia, Capità
NITCH are a three-piece rock/shoegaze act based in Barcelona. They started in 2007 and so far they have played in almost every (cool) venue in town and supported important underground local bands. Now it’s their turn to be in the spotlight, and this month they played at the Primavera Club festival, Primavera Sound’s little brother.NITCH%20-%20Bon%20Dia%20Capita%20(Spain).mp3

Tagged: gif, map, singapore]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/16/music-alliance-pact-december-2012-issue/feed/0wakinguptodotgifBest of 2012: Patrick Watson – Adventures in Your Own Backyardhttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/best-of-2012-patrick-watson-adventures-in-your-own-backyard/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/best-of-2012-patrick-watson-adventures-in-your-own-backyard/#commentsSun, 09 Dec 2012 18:10:59 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4739Continue reading →]]>Adventures in Your Own Backyard, the homespun fourth album by Patrick Watson, finds the Canadian singer-songwriter and his bandmates expanding their joint creative discipline in the confines of their home studio. The result is a set of handcrafted songs that manage to sound intimate in spite of the somewhat mercurial quality of the musical arrangements. The waltzing grandeur of Adventures in Your Own Backyard bears the distinctive traits of Watson’s songwriting, yet the languorous song material chugs along with a confidence that infuses the album with a sense of discovery in every melodic detail. - Keith. https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/patrick-watson-words-in-the-fire.mp3mp3: Patrick Watson – Words In the Fire

Tagged: Adventures in Your Own Backyard, domino, Patrick Watson]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/best-of-2012-patrick-watson-adventures-in-your-own-backyard/feed/0wakinguptoPatrick WatsonBest of 2012: Actress – R.I.Phttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/best-of-2012-actress-r-i-p/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/best-of-2012-actress-r-i-p/#commentsSat, 08 Dec 2012 12:24:57 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4729Continue reading →]]>I know we haven’t been the most regular in writing this year. But the year-end review is something we’d never let go, so look out for our take on the best releases this year. Thanks for sticking with us.
The appended artwork for Actress‘ R.I.P is an an evocative accompaniment to the album, with Eve Ackroyd’s charcoal rendition of a hand feeling for yet blending into the textured painting serving as an apt interpretation of how Darren Cunningham immerses himself into the multifarious layers that make up his music. This is dark stuff that’s full of life, meaning, and context: Cunningham’s rave roots still occupy a shadowy presence, but with R.I.P it is but one part of a larger ensemble that slips in and out of your consciousness and remains in my opinion the most deeply affecting release of the year. - Dan.https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/actress-shadow-from-tartarus.mp3mp3: Actress – Shadow from Tartarus

Tagged: Actress, Best of 2012, Honest Jon's, R.I.P]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/best-of-2012-actress-r-i-p/feed/0wakinguptoActressMusic Alliance Pact – 50th Anniversary Editionhttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/music-alliance-pact-50th-anniversary-edition/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/music-alliance-pact-50th-anniversary-edition/#commentsThu, 15 Nov 2012 16:42:47 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4723Continue reading →]]>SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…Gema – Before
Gema’s debut EP Before is a sprawling canvas of sounds, textures, layers, beats and samples that come together to form a cohesive theme of soulful disturbia. I’m somewhat afraid of what I might find inside Gema’s head. Every sound seems to have a sort of nascent meaning, which is scary because such premeditated behaviour has no place in the hands of a musician capable of carving another world straight into your skull. He’s one of the newest additions to the Syndicate stable, and we hope the marriage of the two will equal three. - Brian.https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/gema-before-singapore.mp3

To download all 40 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world. This month marks the 50th edition!

ARGENTINA: ZonaindiePlástico – Cinicos
For the 50th edition of MAP we have chosen a brand new band from a western suburb of Buenos Aires. Plástico’s sound is a mixture of trip-rock with some electronic and acoustic elements that caught the attention of famous producer Raphael Gordon (The Strokes). Together they recorded a couple of tracks. One is Subir Al Tren, which was used on their first video. The other is Cinicos, previously unreleased, which is a great preview of their upcoming debut album.http://map.zonaindie.com.ar/Plastico-Cinicos(Argentina).mp3

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?Courtney Barnett – History Eraser
It’s hard to pin down what exactly defines that distinct ‘Australian’ sound. For all the ringing guitar riffs and choruses sung in unison etched into our collective memory, there’s something about Australian music that still flails an antipodean flag. We isolate ourselves on the coast; we recycle stories about strangers, lovers and backyard melancholia; we make poetry championing the suburbs. Melbourne singer Courtney Barnett is certainly at home on her track History Eraser. A colloquial ode to The Triffids, ticket inspectors and nights with good company, this track is a perfect summary of the earnest freewheelin’ and rambling wit that makes music from this end of the world just so great.http://whothehell.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/01-History-Eraser.mp3

GREECE: MouxlalouloudaLe Page – Ileana
Le Page is a secret worth knowing about. They are clearly ready to step out from the shadows and play timeless music intended for dreamers and romantics. Their new digital single feels like the product of careful, thoughtful growth, bringing in new influences while maintaining the group’s core sound. It makes an indelible mark. Shimmering, beguiling and evocative, Ileana is a song that boldly merges the subtle and the overt. It will haunt you for many days to come.http://map.super45.cl/map-2012-11/Le_Page_-_Ileana_-_Greece.mp3

IRELAND: Nialler9Owensie – Distance Of Her Love
Distance Of Her Love is possibly the first song that could be called an Irish bossa nova tune, but that description doesn’t tell the whole story. Lilting bright guitar with a Brazilian slant and Michael Owens’ threadbare falsetto lead the way on a song about a mother’s faraway son, while the mournful brass underscores the lyrical sentiment. It’s taken from Owensie’s confident second album Citizens.http://www.state.ie/downloads/Owensie_-_Distance_Of_Her_Love.mp3

ITALY: PolaroidCrimea X – Essential
Crimea X is the project of Jukka Reverberi, from cult indie band Giardini Di Mirò, and DJ Rocca (Maffia Soundsystem). They play cosmic disco with krautrock and Marxist influences. If space stations have radios, they’ll definitely be playing some Crimea X on repeat. In February 2013, Crimea X will release their second album, Another, produced by Bjørn Torske (Smalltown Supersound), and Essential is a MAP exclusive preview.http://www.polaroidallaradio.it/audio/Crimea_X_-_Essential.mp3

MEXICO: Red Bull PanamérikaNiñovan – Pequeño Folk
Apparently the beautiful Baja California landscapes are inspiring enough to write and record simple, innocent folk songs. At least that’s what we imagine while listening to Niñovan, a boy/girl duo from the coastal city of Ensenada. Karina Niño and Efraín de la Rocha released their first album, Pequeño Folk, this year and won a place in this month’s MAP through an open announcement we recently made at Panamérika. Their song Pequeño Folk (translated as “Little Folk”) puts the emphasis on the infantile aura of this project, projected even in their own name (“niño” means “child” in Spanish), and perfectly sums up their ideas and imagination.http://panamerika.fm/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Niño-Van-Pequeño-Folk-Mexico.mp3

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!Vox Von Braun – Dig A Hole
Vox Von Braun are the undisputed chroniclers of the seedier aspects of Dutch provincial life. Habitual stoners, gonzo wannabes and possibly the laziest and unluckiest of outfits, you’re more likely to see them mooching about all-night bars in Groningen than performing anywhere near you. But there’s strength in adversity: this most charming of bands harness their kitchen sink romance to one of the most beautiful, crystalline walls of sound you’ll encounter. And for such a horizontal bunch they have influential fans: the new LP was mixed by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and recorded in Brighton by Matt Thwaites from The Electric Soft Parade. MAP exclusive track Dig A Hole features Brenda of bozo poets Spilt Milk, with their second LP, Rich & On Wheels, out in December.http://subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/Vox%20Von%20Braun%20-%20Dig%20A%20Hole.mp3

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopRoddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire – Queenstown
When I launched the Music Alliance Pact with a dozen blogs in October 2008, I never imagined it would be going as strong as it is today, with 40 countries around the world now part of the project. For this, the 50th consecutive month of MAP, I’m returning to where it all started with my first ever Scottish pick, Roddy Hart, albeit in his full-band guise. The Glaswegian has vacated the singer-songwriter path and is aiming for a Springsteen meets The National vibe with Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire’s self-titled album, due out in spring 2013 and produced by Danton Supple (Coldplay). From it, savour the compelling Queenstown, a MAP exclusive download.http://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Roddy-Hart-The-Lonesome-Fire-Queenstown.mp3

SWEDEN: Ja Ja JaLast Lynx – Killing Switch
Last Lynx is a Stockholm-based band inspired by the organic 60s, howling wolves and modern electro-pop. When those worlds collide and become one, magic happens. The young quartet mixes slick guitar grooves with well thought-out electronic elements and wonderful vocals, with amazing and highly addictive results. Killing Switch is the first single off their as-yet-untitled sophomore EP, due out in early 2013 via SoFo Records.http://dl.dropbox.com/u/76825682/Last%20Lynx%20-%20Killing%20Switch.mp3

Tagged: map, singapore]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/music-alliance-pact-50th-anniversary-edition/feed/0wakinguptomap50thV2Music Alliance Pact – October 2012 Issuehttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/music-alliance-pact-october-2012-issue/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/music-alliance-pact-october-2012-issue/#commentsMon, 15 Oct 2012 17:43:42 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4715Continue reading →]]>SINGAPORE: I’m Waking Up To…Galactica – Saul’s Tighs
In a little-known recess in Singapore’s music scene, there existed a group of science fiction aficionados with a common love for the space odyssey Battlestar Galactica. They went on to write some dreamily-inspired shoegaze with titles such as Saul’s Tighs and Gaius Is Crying… Again, referencing series characters Colonel Saul Tigh and Dr Gaius Baltar. While the concept is an inside joke, the music is anything but. Their songcraft and taste in melodies evoke an immense sense of loss in the immeasurable vastness of space. It takes you back to the heyday of science fiction when the music was sprawling and searching, as opposed to present-day equivalents of over-budgeted pyrotechnics.https://wakingupto.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/galactica-sauls-tighs-singapore.mp3

To download all 39 songs in one file click here. MAP is published on the 15th of every month, featuring a showcase of music handpicked by bloggers from all over the world.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?Mansion, Alaska – Steps
If a ‘best of’ compilation was made featuring the top American indie tunes of the last four years or so, this track would probably sum them all up. Mansion, Alaska may be channelling a sound similar to Local Natives, Grizzly Bear or even Volcano Choir’s debut at times, but comparisons aside – what an impressive track from this young Melbourne band. Steps is seamless: beautiful harmonies, flowing piano arpeggios, sharp percussion and some dreamy guitar work gravitating around stratosphere level.http://whothehell.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Steps.mp3

CHILE: Super 45Shogún – Unciónextrema
Cristián Heyne, a producer whose output ranges from mainstream (Enrique Iglesias, La Ley) to indie (Javiera Mena, Gepe), has always kept his own musical project, Shogún, under a discrete, hermetic cover. With only a few limited edition records and a handful of shows, he has attained a faithful cult following that has endured the last 15 years. His complete recordings were recently released via iTunes, giving a new life to his previously hard-to-find and unavailable works. Unciónextrema is El Brujo’s opening track.http://map.super45.cl/map-2012-10/Shogun_-_Uncion_Extrema_-_Chile.mp3

COLOMBIA: El Parlante AmarilloOndatrópica – 3 Reyes De La Terapia
This is what we call a supergroup. The union between Colombian musician Mario Galeano, from Frente Cumbiero, and English producer Will Holland, aka Quantic, resulted in Ondatrópica – a musical research project through Colombian tropical sounds. Both Galeano and Quantic, scholars of Colombian and electronic rhythms, were given the task of recreating traditional sounds with vintage equipment and old recording techniques, but searching for its contemporaneity. Proof of this is 3 Reyes de la Terapia (“3 Kings Of Therapy”), featuring Juan Carlos Puello, which was made using a marimba, accordion and beatbox.http://elparlanteamarillo.com/map/Ondatropica%20-%203%20Reyes%20De%20La%20Terapia%20(Colombia).mp3

ENGLAND: The Guardian Music BlogNadine Shah – Aching Bones
Straight out of Whitburn comes this singer and pianist-guitarist of Norwegian and Pakistani parentage who actually sounds more like the love child of Nick Cave and Polly Harvey. Shah’s tales of lust and loss, revenge and regret are female takes on Trent Reznor’s industrial blues, her voice redolent of the battle-worn Marianne Faithfull circa Broken English. The title track of her EP is vengefully dark business as usual for Shah as she roars over an insistent clang that provides the rhythm for the song. Her debut album Love Your Dumb And Mad, due early next year, should be a fiery, passionate hoot.http://dl.dropbox.com/u/13565716/Aching%20Bones%20%28single%20vers%2901%20mastered.mp3

FINLAND: GluePaperfangs – Everyday
Paperfangs is a dream-pop trio that draws inspiration from old movies, visual arts, geometric shapes, late-night biking trips, vintage girl groups, chamber pop and shoegaze as well as the latest indie gems. A debut album will not be ready until next year, but in the meantime we can enjoy the band’s take on one of the greatest melody makers ever as the trio covers Buddy Holly’s Everyday.https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3135709/glue/map/paperfangs_everyday_finland.mp3

GERMANY: BlogparteiVIMES – UpStairs
It’s getting cold really fast these days so let’s turn to some music which may give us comfort. Cologne newcomers VIMES is a duo with a penchant for vibrant electronic music. The voice of Azhar Syed gives the electronics of Julian Stetter a melancholic and yearning touch, thereby making VIMES recognisable. Live they are accompanied by VJ Till Beutling for a complete audiovisual experience. They are currently recording their debut album.http://www.blogpartei.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Vimes-UpStairsGermany.mp3

IRELAND: Nialler9Lar Kaye – Effector
While his main band Adebisi Shank are between things, guitarist Lar Kaye has been at his musical toy box and that bout of activity has resulted in a dizzying five-track solo EP. Effector is a hyperactive child of a song featuring pounding drum crashes, 8-bit melodies, cartoon samples, R&B female vocals and spiralling guitar notes. The sound of one man having a lot of fun and dishing it out for free. Infectious.http://nialler9.com/mp3/Lar_Kaye-_-Effector.mp3

ITALY: PolaroidMontgomery – Refrigerator
It was very hard to choose just one song from the split EP by Montgomery and ED (available for free download on Bandcamp). Every track captures a perfect moment of acoustic pop, both light and moving, so my advice is to check out both acts. I picked Refrigerator by Montgomery because it’s the best ‘goodnight’ song I’ve heard in a long time. Montgomery is a promising new group from Verona with members from the bands Canadians and Le Man Avec Les Lunettes.http://www.polaroidallaradio.it/audio/Montgomery_-_Refrigerator.mp3

MALTA: Stagedive MaltaBrikkuni – Fil-Gallinar Tas-Sultan
Torn between their arty pretensions and a morbid fascination with kitsch, Brikkuni (“scoundrels”) try to have a stab at both. With Fil-Gallinar Tas-Sultan, the band leaves no stone unturned in its determined quest to marry reluctant bedfellows. The lyrics, sung in Maltese, recount a particularly tense day in a chicken coop owned by the titular Sultan. Riffs rise and ebb and rise again, leading to an an epic conclusion underscored by horns, strings and a pulsating bass line, all strung together by an insistent keyboard motif and… a purple chicken struggling to take flight. The song is taken from Brikkuni’s sophomore album Trabokk.http://www.stagedivemalta.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Brikkuni-Fil-Gallinar-tas-Sultan-Malta.mp3

NETHERLANDS: Subbacultcha!WOLVON – Unicorny
This summer, Dutch bands WOLVON and Neon Rainbows set off on tour through the Balkans, playing in four countries of the former Yugoslavia. Whilst battling the blistering heat, bored/corrupt border police, broken vehicles, stray dogs and their own preconceptions about Southeastern Europe, it was decided they’d release a split 7″ to commemorate the experience. Unicorny is WOLVON’s side of the record, launched during the independent culture festival Incubate last month. This noisy dream-pop trio has made a name for itself while touring the Dutch underground, thanks in part to their maniacal live antics. They’re currently recording their debut full-length, which will be released through Subroutine Records in spring 2013.http://www.subbacultcha.nl/files/MAP/WOLVON-Unicorny.mp3

PERU: SoTBPamela Rodríguez – Re-conozco
Pamela Rodríguez is one of the best female voices in Peru, and recently received a Latin Grammy nomination for her third album Reconocer, which is both fresh and intense with a lot of pop inclination. The truth is that when her music starts to play, something magical happens in the ears of the listener. No matter what style she chooses, the true protagonist of her songs will always be her voice – sweet, free, sincere and perfect. Re-conozco is a beautiful and exciting piano song like few others.https://dl.dropbox.com/u/17778857/Pamela%20Rodr%C3%ADguez%20-%20Re-Conozco%20%28Peru%29.mp3

PUERTO RICO: Puerto Rico IndieFantasmes – Redness Moon
Mario Negron and Dario Morales have been working together in psychedelic ensemble Fantasmes since 2007. For their third release, Redness Moon, Fantasmes required a space where they could compose, rehearse and record at their own pace, free from external pressures. And so a house in Santurce – San Juan’s vibrant arts mecca – became Casa Fantasmes, where the duo worked tirelessly for months. The outstanding result of these sessions is their first release for New York indie label Last Bummer Records – a trippy, sci-fi, end-of-days dystopian video for first single Redness Moon was directed by Danilo Parra and is well worth your time.https://dl.dropbox.com/u/476245/Music/MAP/Fantasmes%20-%20Redness%20Moon%20-%20%28Puerto%20Rico%29.mp3

SCOTLAND: The Pop CopKitty The Lion – Duck!
There’s cute and then there’s Kitty The Lion cute, and the promo video for Duck! really does take this Glasgow band to unsurpassable levels of adorability. Frontwoman Anna Meldrum seems to set herself a personal challenge of writing songs about subject matters that are as mundane as possible, but first impressions can be deceiving. Closer inspection of her lyrics reveals exceptionally clever wordplay and crafty double entendres. What isn’t ambiguous is Kitty The Lion’s pop heart, with a near-flawless grasp of melody flowing through their indie-folk veins.http://thepopcop.co.uk/music/Kitty-The-Lion-Duck.mp3

SOUTH KOREA: Korean Indie404 – Water
Two-piece band 404 comes from the most interesting part of Korea’s indie music scene. Not looking to put a label to their music, they say it’s simply “what a guitar/drum two-piece band would sound like in Korea in the year 2012″. They recently released their first album, aptly titled 1, featuring their take on post-punk, modern rock, noise, folk-pop and a hint of blues in a surprisingly coherent mix. Water progresses playfully in a way that makes it impossible to sit entirely still while listening.http://map.super45.cl/map-2012-10/404_-_Water_-_South_Korea.mp3

SWEDEN: Ja Ja JaThus:Owls – White Night
Thus:Owls is a Swedish/Canadian five-piece led by singer and composer Erika Angell. Together they craft carefully arranged, moving and melancholic pop with cinematic elements that’s just simply beautiful. Their widely and rightfully praised sophomore album Harbours is out now via Avalanche (North America) and Hoob Records (Sweden), and will be released in the rest of Europe next year on Kytopia.http://dl.dropbox.com/u/76825682/ThusOwls%20-%20White%20Night.mp3

Tagged: galactica, map, singapore]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/10/16/music-alliance-pact-october-2012-issue/feed/0wakinguptogalactica#401 Dear Eloise – 她从来不 (She Never)https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/401-dear-eloise-%e5%a5%b9%e4%bb%8e%e6%9d%a5%e4%b8%8d-she-never/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/401-dear-eloise-%e5%a5%b9%e4%bb%8e%e6%9d%a5%e4%b8%8d-she-never/#commentsThu, 27 Sep 2012 17:07:46 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4705Continue reading →]]>
I finally caught the Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal exhibition at the Art/Science Museum last weekend. Presented in a strictly chronological and unapologetically didatic approach, the exhibition served as a well-charted primer to Warhol’s work through the years. There was something magical about viewing his early commercial work, his rudimentary but precisely transferred blotted lines anticipating his impending factory-produced pop art statements. But I found his later works somewhat devoid of that cutting edge, as if he ironically ended up mass producing and reproducing his established aesthetic, almost labouriously. I did, however, find myself mesmerised at the middle of the exhibition by the seemingly never-ending video of the Velvet Underground at rehearsal with not just Nico but also her young son, doing his bit to add to the incessant waves of noise.

That’s perhaps a somewhat contrived, literal, if not roundabout, way of introducing what I’ve happened to be listening to a lot to these days – the clearly Velvets-inspired Dear Eloise and their second album 美丽陌生人 (they’ve written it as Beauty in Strangers in the liner notes, although I feel – despite the unwarranted Madonna comparison – it should be more accurately Beautiful Stranger). The protagonist makes her existentially-challenged appearance in “她从来不” (She Never), defined by the shadow of her absence, a mysteriously powerful force that absorbs the sun and the wind into that nothingness as well. It’s a perfectly ethereal and partly naive storyline that endears to as much as it loses itself in the very consuming noise it invokes. - Dan.

Tagged: Dear Eloise, Maybe Mars, tenzenmen]]>https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/401-dear-eloise-%e5%a5%b9%e4%bb%8e%e6%9d%a5%e4%b8%8d-she-never/feed/0wakinguptoDear Eloise#400 Divine Fits – Shivershttps://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/400-divine-fits-shivers/
https://wakingupto.wordpress.com/2012/09/17/400-divine-fits-shivers/#commentsSun, 16 Sep 2012 16:01:21 +0000http://wakingupto.wordpress.com/?p=4698Continue reading →]]>Divine Fits, the new project fronted by Spoon’s Britt Daniel and Dan Boeckner (former member of Wolf Parade and Handsome Furs, both bands now defunct), is an amalgam of the two’s shared musical ethos, all tightly-wound pop hooks and raw energy. Their perfectly executed cover of “Shivers”, a song originally performed by The Boys Next Door (the teenaged incarnation of The Birthday Party featuring Nick Cave, Mick Harvey and Rowland S Howard), operates on a propulsive pulse that draws inevitable comparisons to Britt’s main band that we long admired. So yes, as much as it sounds unscripted, the song’s very familiarly Spoon, still. Yet “Shivers” pulls us into a wistful mood — every time we find ourselves unwittingly identifying with the rock singer, as he steadies himself to disown every shred of romantic longing he feels. - Keith.